New to St. James? Here's some basic information
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St. James is located in Lenoir in the foothills of western North Carolina. We have a deep commitment to following Jesus and accepting others; all are welcome here. We encourage you to visit us this Sunday or Wednesday. Also, please look over our website for our many programs that nurture spiritual growth, and that connect us to the Lenoir community. We are always excited for new people to join us and bring their talents and passions to St. James.
Some of our members have always been Episcopalians, while others have come to us from other denominations, or are new to the Christian faith, so we realize that those coming to St. James for the first time may have questions. Below you will find our three-part Mission Statement, followed by some general information about Sunday services. If you have other questions, please contact the church office. |
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Mission Statement
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Seeking God
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While the Episcopal Church has a traditional set of beliefs, we do not expect you to hold the same beliefs. The people of St. James value diversity and inclusion, so all are welcomed here into a seeking community, to ask questions and to join others in worship and study.
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Serving Community
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The people of St. James actively look for ways to love God and serve our neighbors. You will find avenues at St. James to discover your own passions and to put your faith into action.
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Welcoming You
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At St. James, hospitality is our deep mission. You are invited to be a part of St. James by bringing your own needs as well as your talents and gifts to our church ministry.
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Other Information
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Services
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There are two Sunday services. The 8:00am service is shorter, with no choir or organist. The 10:30am service includes music.
There is also an opportunity for worship on Wednesdays at 12:10pm. It is a shorter service and communion is served, except for the few weeks when the priest is not in town. On those weeks we still gather for Morning Prayer. For many people, this smaller, more informal service is their favorite service of the week. |
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Dress
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Some parishioners choose to wear their “Sunday best,” while many others prefer more relaxed dress. We welcome either, so come as you are!
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Nursery
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ALL children (and the noises they make) are welcome in worship with us. Nursing mothers are welcome to remain in their pew, or if they are not comfortable with that, there is a quiet area in our Narthex that can be utilized. There are bags with coloring materials in the back of the church for use by any children. We also have a wonderful space (the "Nursery") for the children to play and have volunteers willing to staff that space so that parents can go to worship. But because it is so sporadically used, the volunteers are not there unless requested ahead of time. But please don't hesitate to call the church office and request nursery room volunteers! If you wish to remain in the nursery for the first part of the service with your own children, we have installed a TV in there and use it to livestream the worship service on YouTube each week.
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Communion
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Communion is served almost every Sunday, and everyone is welcome to receive Communion. People come forward to the altar, and the wafer will be placed in your hand. You may either eat it and sip from the cup of wine or dip the wafer in the wine. If you desire a blessing instead, please cross your arms in front of you and the priest will know to bless you. Gluten free wafers are available. If you are not able to kneel, you may stand at the altar. If you cannot manage the two stairs leading to the altar, the priest will bring communion to you in your pew - and we do that for someone at almost every service already.
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Education
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Our adult education class is called Adult Forum. It is held on Sunday mornings at 9:10am in the Hogan Room. For more information, please visit the Adult Forum Page. Adult Forum does not run during the summer months.
We offer a Children's Hour on the third Sunday of each month during the school year (September-May). It runs during the same hour as the Adult Forum (9:10am-10:10am) and is for children of all ages. |
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St. James Episcopal Church
806 College Avenue, SW Lenoir, NC 28645 828-754-3712 Sunday Services 8:00am - Holy Eucharist - no music 9:10am- Adult Forum (September-May) 10:30am - Holy Eucharist with music Four times a year (on "5th Sundays") we often offer Morning Prayer instead of Eucharist at both morning services. |
